This Meyer Lemon Pound Cake is a wonderfully fluffy but moist cake made with Meyer lemon juice and lemon zest to give it that big, fresh lemony flavor. It’s a deliciously comforting but bright cake topped with a simple creamy Honey Lemon Glaze. It is so easy to make and made healthier using real, whole ingredients! It’s a delicious way to brighten up those winter days and celebrate the citrus season. Don’t have Meyer lemons? Just use regular lemons instead!

What Does This Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Taste Like?

This secretly healthier Meyer Lemon Pound Cake is everything you could hope for from a conventional Pound Cake. The cake texture is moist and soft with a dense chewy crumb. It’s rich and buttery, but because it is made from whole ingredients it does not feel heavy or overindulgent in the least! The lemon juice and lemon zest add a beautiful refreshing brightness – like a glass of lemonade on a hot day. This is basically like the winter version of that – a comforting and satisfying cake, with a zing!, to brighten those chilly days. This Meyer Lemon Pound Cake is just perfectly sweet that it can be enjoyed basically any time of day – as breakfast, an afternoon pick me up, or even dessert!

Why Is It Called Pound Cake?

A conventional Pound Cake is named for the ingredients used in the original recipe: a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of eggs, and a pound of flour. Most modern recipes for Pound Cake do not use this original ratio but still use a hefty amount of butter, refined sugar, and sometimes cream cheese or sour cream to achieve the same dense texture. This recipe is a healthified take, it’s still rich, buttery, and perfectly sweet but made with better-for-you ingredients!

Can I Use Regular Lemons Instead of Meyer Lemons?

Yes, feel free to use regular lemons instead of Meyer if you cannot find them! I use Meyer lemons for this recipe because our mini tree finally produced several good ones this year and a Meyer Lemon Pound Cake sounded like the perfect way to enjoy them in all their glory.

What’s the Difference Between Regular Lemons and Meyer Lemons?

Meyer lemons are different from regular lemons as they have a thin and edible skin. They are also slightly sweeter (less acidic) than your average lemons, which is what makes them so perfect for baking. (And also why people go so crazy for them.) Meyer lemons have a short season, typically from late November to early March (in California) so if you see them in stores I highly recommend giving them a try if you haven’t had them!

What Ingredients Are Used to Make This Healthy Meyer Lemon Pound Cake?

This recipe is made better-for-you as it is made with no refined flours, sugars, or oils. It’s paleo-friendly meaning it’s gluten, grain, dairy, and refined sugar free. To get that rich, buttery Pound Cake texture and flavor I use cashew butter as the base fat. I also give an option to use ghee instead – the ghee gives the baked cake a bit more of vibrant yellow color. Of the two I preferred the cashew butter, but the ghee version is a bit more aesthetic. Either way is delicious, so just choose whatever suits your dietary needs, budget, or current pantry! There are 2 different fats and 2 different sweeteners in this recipe which may seem odd, but trust me, they each serve their own purpose. Here’s a look at the ingredients used and some possible substitutions/variations.

Coconut Sugar – The best granulated sweetener for refined sugar free baking. I use and love Nutiva’s Coconut Sugar for the reasonable pricing and excellent quality.
Cashew Butter – The base fat for this Pound Cake and gives it a similar rich texture and flavor to butter. Choose a cashew butter that is made with only one ingredient (no added oils or sugar). I used Artisana Cashew Butter. Substitute ghee instead of cashew butter if you prefer.
Maple Syrup – Gives a touch more sweetness and moisture to the cake.
Avocado Oil – This gives additional moisture to the cake without making it feel too heavy. Feel free to sub olive oil or melted and cooled coconut oil instead!
Eggs – To make the loaf fluffy!
Lemon Juice & Zest – To give it that beautiful bright lemon flavor. Even though it may be tempting, don’t skip the zest! It really adds a lot of extra lemony-ness.
Almond Flour – Gives the perfect dense but light and chewy texture. I use and love Bob’s Red Mill’s Super-Fine Almond Flour.
Tapioca Flour – Helps thicken the batter without having to add too much flour.
Salt – To bring out the lemon flavor and balance the sweetness.
Baking Soda – This lifts the batter, helping it rise and brown.

How Do You Make Lemon Pound Cake?

This recipe is incredibly easy to make! The batter whips up in a breeze and the glaze comes together in a flash. Here’s a look at the steps:

Zest, then juice lemons to get 1/4 cup. Because zesting a juiced lemon half is an easily avoidable hassle. A mistake I have made many times.
Mix the dry ingredients together. This helps keep the loaf fluffy, prevents over-mixing, and the formation of uneven ingredient lumps from developing in the cake.
Mix together the sugars and oils.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Add lemon juice and zest.
Stir in the dry ingredients.
Pour into a prepared loaf pan.
Bake! I recommend covering the loaf pan after 25 minutes in the oven. This loaf is dense and takes a while to bake, so covering it prevents the crust from getting too brown.
Make the glaze while the loaf is cooling.
Glaze, slice, & enjoy!

This Meyer Lemon Pound Cake will keep at room temperature, covered for 2-3 days, slicing as you are ready to enjoy. Afterwards, slice into portions and keep in a freezer for longer storage.

This Meyer Lemon Pound Cake is so wonderfully rich and buttery but still zesty, bright, and refreshing. Topped with a perfectly creamy glaze to really make this cake so heavenly. And it’s made healthier! It’s just magical and honestly, it’s just so unbelievably good you’ll have to make it see for yourself!

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), refined sugar free

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Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

This is the perfect healthier Pound Cake! It's bright and zesty, rich and buttery, and just perfectly sweet without feeling heavy or over-indulgent. The perfect way to celebrate the winter citrus season!

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), refined sugar free

Course Breakfast, Snack

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

2 1/2 cups almond flour (225 grams)
1/2 cup tapioca flour (60 grams)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup coconut sugar (114 grams)
1/3 cup cashew butter (85 grams) or sub ghee (63 grams)
1/4 cup maple syrup (76 grams)
1/4 cup avocado oil (61 grams) sub olive oil or melted & cooled coconut oil
3 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed (about 1 lemon)
zest from 2 lemons (about 1 tbsp)

Lemon Honey Glaze

1/4 cup coconut butter (36 grams)
1-2 tbsp milk of choice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
zest for decoration (optional)

Instructions

Zest the lemons, then slice and juice to get 1/4 cup.
Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare loaf pan by lining with parchment paper or greasing with additional oil.
In a medium bowl mix together all the dry ingredients until well incorporated.
In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the coconut sugar, cashew butter, maple syrup, and avocado oil until well mixed and bubbly.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Add the lemon juice and zest and stir until well combined.
Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir until flour is just fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, using a silicone spatula, once or twice during mixing to ensure even distribution of ingredients.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly into one layer.
Bake for 25 minutes, then loosely cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil to prevent too much browning.
Bake for 58-60 minutes total or until top is firm and springy, the inside of the crack should look baked and moist, but not wet. Test for doneness with a toothpick, it should come out clean except a few moist crumbs.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the glaze by melting the coconut butter in a microwave in short 5 second bursts. Add 1 tbsp milk, honey, and lemon juice to the coconut butter and stir well. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick. Glaze should be thin and spreadable but not runny.
Once cake has cooled (for at least 10 minutes), remove from the pan, drizzle with the Lemon Honey Glaze and use a rubber spatula to spread evenly across the top. Top with additional lemon zest if desired. Let drizzle set slightly (either outside or in the fridge) slice and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This cake will keep at room temperature, covered for 2-3 days, slicing as you are ready to enjoy. Afterwards, slice into portions and keep in a freezer for longer storage.

Helpful Kitchen Tools (affiliate links): loaf pan, silicone spatula, kitchen scale

Ingredient Subs/Variations:

Cashew Butter - Use any thick and creamy nut/seed butter you like, preferably one containing only one ingredient (no added sugars or oils). I find cashew butter to be the perfect nut butter for this recipe as it has the most neutral flavor and will not overpower the delicate lemon flavor. Make sure to stir the jar well before measuring. Do not use the compacted paste at the bottom of the jar.

Ghee - Sub ghee for cashew butter to get a brighter yellow color in the finished cake. This also gives a slightly more buttery flavor than cashew butter.

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